Zakuro: Shattered Ones
by Davner
Summary: Following the events at the Village of Oracles, the Ministry of Spirit Affairs is expanded and given a new mission.


Disclaimer: Zakuro belongs to Lily Hoshino and J.C. Staff.

**Zakuro: Shattered Ones**

**Chapter 1**

**Strays**

* * *

_"And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand._  
_Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love,_  
_without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on._  
_But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning."_

_"Shattered"_  
_Trading Yesterday_

* * *

In the dream he was always surrounded by bones.

They lay scattered about the scrub and grass, stretching out for miles upon miles upon miles, the ribs, the legs, the fingers and toes…

… and the skulls.

He stood in the center of this world of bleached ivory and searched for a way through, a way out that wouldn't disturb them. He didn't want to disturb them. He wanted them to rest.

The field of bones had been there for a long time. It was the singing that was new.

_Watasha hana ka? Chouchou ka? Oni ka?_

The words were in his own language, and yet unfamiliar.

_Aware mi mo yo… Mo araryou mono ka?_

The sky turned dark around him, filling with the angry thunderheads he had seen on the plains. The wind blew, and the sky shook, and around him the bones began to rise in the wind.

_Beni no kawari ni… Sasu no wa yaiba ja…_

Soon, he was surrounded not by bones, but a bleached white typhoon filled with the sharpened fragments of bone that edged every closer to him. The bones coalesced into scales, and he found a white viper coiled around him, its red eyes staring down at him in judgement.

_Tanto homete kudashanse._

He fell to his knees and lowered his head as the viper struck.

_Apare! Apare! Apare-na!_

888

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, his nose filling with the pungent, salty brine of the sea. Blinking, he rose from the cot the ship's crew had afforded him and rubbed his face with his hands, urging the sleep to leave him. Reaching out, he grabbed the uniform jacket hanging precariously from the hook nailed into the wall, the gold lieutenant's insignia weather-beaten into a drabness that reflected his mood.

Pulling the jacket on and buttoning it, he grabbed the item hanging on the other hook, the brown leather belt on which hung his cavalry saber and .45 Schofield revolver. Wrapping it around himself with the same care he would the obi of a kimono, he took a breath and opened the door of his cabin.

He made his way to the nearest stairwell and climbed up onto the deck of the steamer that had been his home for the past two weeks. However, instead of the usual stretch of Pacific blue that had met him every morning, land stood before him in the distance. He let out a relieved breath, one he hadn't known he had been holding for the past two weeks.

"Should make port by the end of the day," a voice behind him noted. Turning, he saw Kajimoto, one of the sailors who worked the steamer's galley.

"Good," he told him quietly.

"Glad to finally be home, Lieutenant?" Kajimoto asked with a smile.

"I guess we'll see," he replied evenly.

888

"That's it! All done!"

Second Lieutenant Ganryuu Hanakiri practically bounced in glee at the workman's pronouncement. He was sure a hundred years from now such things would be common-place in Japan, but today he was all but certain that the manor was the only structure in the city that had what the workers had installed. He looked up at the monstrosity that now took up a large part of the basement, at the pipes that ran from it and up into the ceiling, to every part of the house. It was magnificent in its intricacy, every part working together for one single purpose.

"And it will really heat the entire house?" Ganryuu asked, amazed.

The workman nodded. "Yep! We're selling these left and right. They say the Emperor himself is having one installed."

Ganryuu's eyes lit up. It was a fortunate break that their last job had been for a Portuguese trader down at the pier, a man so grateful for their help in communicating with a spirit that he had given them one of these new furnaces for free… after a suggestion from him of course.

"Here's a manual for it," the workman announced, dropping into the lieutenant's arms a rather heavy book. "To break it down for you, water gets heated here, then it flows through the pipes to every room. Pretty simple, really."

"It doesn't look simple," Ganryuu noted, thumbing through the book while the first notes of doubt colored his enthusiasm.

"Don't worry! It's simple! Well, you have a good day now!"

Before Ganryuu could say another word, the workman was walking up the stairs and out of the basement.

"Hmmm," the soldier mused as he began to study. His face went ashen as he realized the words in the book were all in Portuguese. Now he realized why the workman had left so quickly.

"Ganryuu sama!" he heard from behind him in perfect stereo. Turning he found Hozuki and Bonbori coming down the stairs. They stopped short at the sight of the gargantuan western machine and oooh'd at its presence.

"Is this the heating machine, Ganryuu sama?" Hozuki asked.

"It's so big," Bonbori added.

Not wishing to show doubt to his half-spirit partners, Ganryuu slapped the book shut and smiled. "This is it! Now we can heat the entire house!"

The twins oooh'd again at the boast.

Bonbori clapped her hands in delight. "That's wonderful, Ganryuu sama! It gets so cold here in the winter!"

"And it's already starting to get chilly!" Hozuki added, adding a dramatic shiver.

He grinned proudly. "Well, you don't have to worry about that! With this, we can lounge around the house in yukatas until spring!"

The soldier nearly lost his balance as both girls glomped him from both sides, giggling at his boast.

"Hanakiri kun."

He turned at the sound of the hail and found Riken at the top of the stairs. The towering man had to duck a little to get through the basement door. He seemed to take no notice of the new furnace and addressed the younger officer directly.

"Come upstairs," he said. "We have a telegram from headquarters. It's about Spirit Affairs."

888

By the time Riken, Ganryuu and the twins had climbed back to the first floor and made their way to the main hall, they found that Kei had been joined by Zakuro and Susukihotaru. Kei was holding the folded yellow message card anxiously, fighting back the urge to read it until his brother officers had arrived.

"So what does it say?" Ganryuu asked.

"I don't know," Kei replied. "It's addressed to the three of us." He unfolded the message and began to read aloud to the group.

"Report to IJA HQ, Col. Mizuno Akio, by 15 November, stop," he read. "New orders, stop." He blinked. "That's all there is."

"What do you think it means, new orders?" Susukihotaru asked, casting her eyes up at Riken.

"Do you think maybe they want to shut down Spirit Affairs again?" Zakuro asked tentatively.

Standing on either side of Ganryuu, Hozuki and Bonbori's eyes went wide at this suggestion. One blonde turned to the other with determined eyes.

"Hozuki! Quickly! Operation Chains of Love!"

The other blonde gave her a sharp salute, and before Ganryuu could form a question in response, the two women leapt upon him and dragged him across the room. There were several clicks, and when the two finally stood up and stepped away from him again, he found himself chained to one of the house's support beams.

"What the… WHAT IS THIS?!" he demanded.

"Please forgive us, Ganryuu sama," Hozuki began.

"But we just can't bear the thought of you leaving again," Bonbori finished.

"So you're just going to keep me chained up down here?!" he demanded.

"It'll be fine!" Bonbori assured him. "We can sing and play games!"

"We'll bring you treats!" Hozuki added.

"What about when I have to go to the bathroom?" Ganryuu asked them.

The twins went silent and looked to each for a moment. Looking back, they sheepishly shrugged. "We're going to have to think on that one a bit," Bonbori told him.

Zakuro sighed as she watched the argument go back and forth. She blinked as she suddenly realized something. "November 15?" she asked. "Isn't that tomorrow?"

"Yes," Riken replied. "We'll have to take the afternoon train if we're going to get there in time."

"I will pack you a bag, Riken sama," Susukihotaru announced, starting down the hall.

Riken started after her. "Thank you," he said simply.

Kei turned to Zakuro, who stared back at him with narrowed eyes. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Just… well… the last time we thought we were being split up, you… you know…"

"I'm not doing that every time you get a telegram," she told him. "Oh, and I'm not packing you a bag either."

The lieutenant rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Of course," he replied.

Zakuro sighed. "But I will make you some tea while you pack your own," she told him.

Kei beamed. "Thank you."

The half-spirit girl didn't answer, instead turning toward the twins. "Oi! You'd better unchain him."

"But then he'll leave again!" Hozuki cried.

"You don't even know if he's leaving permanently," Zakuro reasoned. "Even if he is, he'll have to come back for his stuff, and you can chain him up then. If he's not and he doesn't show up at this big meeting, he'll probably get in trouble and then they'll come and _force_ him to leave."

Bonbori looked miserable as she unlocked the chains holding the youngest officer.

"Thank you," Ganryuu breathed.

"But you have to promise to come back!" Hozuki demanded.

"Of course!" the lieutenant answered quickly, wilting under the saddened gaze of the blonde twins' golden eyes.

888

The train had deposited them in the capital too late in the evening to report to HQ, and so the three found an inn and stayed the night, resolving to report first thing in the morning. Even this hope was dashed as, upon arriving at HQ, they found that Colonel Mizuno preferred to conduct business from his home on the north side of the city. It took them the better part of the morning to find it, not arriving until shortly after lunch time.

The first thing that struck Agemaki about the home was that it was small for a colonel. Usually, officers that high up were drawn from the nobility and could afford much better lodging. His own family lived in opulence, but Mizuno's house, simple, neatly-kept and elegant, was still a far cry from what he expected. The second thing he noticed was that the houses on either side of it stood empty despite being similarly tasteful.

The third thing that struck him as quite odd was that it was the colonel himself who answered the door.

Mizuno Akio was nearly Riken's height, but not as slim. Even so, he was nowhere near fat. His head was shaved, but the shadow on his scalp showed them it was a preference, not baldness. Despite being in his own home, he wore his uniform, cleaned and pressed as if he were attending a parade. He smiled and bowed to them.

"Welcome, Lieutenants," he said. "I have been expecting you. Please, come inside."

The three saluted smartly and followed the older man inside, leading them down the hallway to a professional-looking office.

"I hope coming to my home instead of headquarters did not inconvenience you greatly," he told them, immediately pouring tea for them from a kettle he kept on a table near his desk. "Since my wife's death, I prefer to remain near my daughter, and the Army is gracious enough to allow me to do so as long as I continue my habit of completing my assignments on time." He offered them each a cup of tea and sat down behind his desk.

"It was no problem, Sir," Kei announced smartly for the three of them. "Second Lieutenants Agemaki, Yoshinokazura and Hanakiri, reporting as ordered."

"I am Colonel Mizuno Akio," Mizuno said. "I am glad to meet you all. You must be wondering, however, _why_ you are meeting me."

"We thought you were going to reassign us," Ganryuu ventured with trepidation.

Mizuno smiled. "I am quite happy to say that it's the opposite," he announced. "I have been named the new commander of the military side of Spirit Affairs."

"So, you're our new boss?" Agemaki asked.

"Ah," Mizuno affirmed.

"Did you do something wrong?" Ganryuu blurted out. Riken gave him a quick elbow to shut him up.

"Actually, I volunteered for this task," Mizuno told him. "I have a great interest in Spirit Affairs, and I have followed your missions closely." He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out several brown folders. "Your reports are fascinating, though, Lieutenant Agemaki, you should work on your report-writing skills."

Kei bit his lip, embarrassed. To be perfectly honest, he hadn't expected anyone to read those reports in the first place.

"I will improve, Sir," he promised.

"I know you will," Mizuno replied graciously. "Gentlemen, as you are aware, the adoption of the new calendar has caused friction with our spiritual population. It is important that relations between humans and spirits not degrade. Whether human or spirit, we are all Japanese. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Sir," they all answered in unison.

"Good," he told them. "Because while I do not know how seriously my predecessor took this assignment, I promise you that I view our mission as vitally important to the Empire. As such, there will be some changes."

"Changes?" Kei asked anxiously.

"First, we will be expanding," Mizuno told him. "Our first new addition, Second Lieutenant Akagi Makoto, a lieutenant of cavalry, will be joining you in a couple of days. Second, I will be giving you an opportunity to improve your report-writing skills, Lieutenant Agemaki, as I am hereby promoting you to first lieutenant."

"Me?!" Kei blurted.

"Quite," Mizuno responded. "You will be the military detachment leader there while I will be our representation here at headquarters."

Ganryuu reached over and patted Kei on the back. "Congratulations, Agemaki san!"

Riken gave him a respectful nod in agreement with the sentiment.

"Thank you, but… me?" Kei asked again.

"I served with your father during the Satsuma Rebellion," Mizuno told him. "So I know what the Agemakis are capable of. Also, having read the reports on your last mission to the Village of Oracles, I believe you are the natural choice."

Kei puffed his chest out in pride… and silently begged Riken and Ganryuu not to bring up his spirit phobia right now…

"That is not the only administrative change," Mizuno announced. "It has been decided that due to the unfortunate biases toward this assignment and the possible effect on advancement, only volunteers will be accepted into Spirit Affairs. To that end, Lieutenant Yoshinokazura, you and I must speak."

"Sir?"

Mizuno held up another envelope. "I received this yesterday morning," he told him. "It's an assignment with your name on it… commander of an infantry company." He pushed the envelope across his desk to Riken. "It's a good assignment," he told him. "It's the kind of assignment where field marshals start their careers."

Riken pushed the envelope back. "With all due respect, Sir, I prefer to remain at Spirit Affairs."

Mizuno took the envelope and replaced it in his desk drawer. "I will not lie," he said. "I am glad you will be remaining."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Now, onto your next assignment," Mizuno began again, switching tracks. "As I mentioned, I have read the reports on your last mission, the Village of Oracles. I'd like to hear about it in your own words now."

The three junior officers took turns recounting their experiences in the world between worlds that was the Village of Oracles, being careful to not leaving anything out, even if that meant interrupting one another to correct some detail. At the end of it, Mizuno was nodding.

"Your reports mentioned half-spirits imprisoned below the main structure," he said.

"Yes, Sir," Kei affirmed.

"And that these prisoners were released during the fire," Mizuno continued.

"Yes, Sir."

Mizuno sipped his tea. "Where are they now?"

The three went silent.

"Um… I don't know, Sir," Ganryuu supplied. "I guess they're free now."

Mizuno put his tea cup down. "And how do you define 'free,' Lieutenant?" At Ganryuu's questioning look, he continued. "These half-spirits, some of whom have unique magic powers, have spent their entire lives in bondage, conditioned to obey orders, yes? So now that they're out on their own, whose orders will they obey? They know nothing else."

"I…. I don't know, Sir," Ganryuu admitted.

"This is one of those areas where Spirit Affairs can do some good work," Mizuno told them. "I want you to seek these beings out, find them, and provide what services they may need to adjust to living in our world. As you can imagine, it must be frightening enough for them out there. A helping hand would be welcome, don't you agree?"

"Yes, Sir!" they answered in unison.

888

Mizuno watched the three young officers walk off the property from his doorway before shutting the door and starting back to his office.

"Are they gone?"

He stopped and blinked, finding his daughter standing in the shadows at the end of the hall.

"Mariko," he said with a smile. "You should have introduced yourself to my new officers. They would have been delighted to meet you, I'm sure."

Mizuno Mariko approached her father, her head bowed. "They are your fellow officers," she said by way of explanation. "I did not want to embarrass you."

"Impossible," he assured her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Father," Mariko began tentatively. "I ask you again to reconsider accepting this assignment. Your career has already suffered, if you work with… with _them_, they will taint you further…"

"Mariko," Mizuno said sadly, but his daughter would not be interrupted.

"They are unclean and…"

"Mariko!" he barked sternly. She froze and bowed her head. "You will not say such things again," he told her. He turned and went into his office, shutting the door behind him.

"Yes, Father," she whispered.

888

"If we hurry, we can make the last train," Ganryuu noted as the three made their way back toward the inn to check out.

Kei didn't reply, lost in thought about the conversation they had had with their new commander. He wasn't sure what to make of Mizuno. He was the first officer he'd seen, aside from Hanadate, who seemed to take Spirit Affairs seriously. But why?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Riken's voice behind him.

"A favor."

The other two officers stopped. Riken was a man of few words, so when he did speak, it was usually something worth listening to.

"What is it?" Ganryuu asked.

Riken looked away for a moment. "Please do not speak of the Colonel's offer to me when we return."

Ganryuu blinked. "But why not?" he asked. "Just being offered something like that is something to be proud of."

"You're afraid of how Susukihotaru will take it," Kei surmised. Ganryuu looked at him in puzzlement.

"Yes," Riken replied.

"I don't get it," Ganryuu interjected. "You don't think she'd be proud as well?"

"Susukihotaru is a very sensitive woman," Riken told him seriously. "If she knew such a thing had been offered to me and that I turned it down to remain at Spirit Affairs, she would see herself as responsible for interfering with my career."

"Is she?" Kei asked suddenly.

Riken blinked and looked at his friend. He held Kei's stare for a moment before looking away. "Perhaps," he allowed quietly.

Kei smiled. "She won't hear about it from me," he promised.

Ganryuu nodded in agreement.

The trio continued on their way, holding their coats closer to their bodies to try to keep out the cold. They reached the inn, quickly packed their bags, and left, still with plenty of time to make it to the station. Hopefully, they would be able to spend the night at home.

_Home_, Kei thought to himself. _When did that den of monsters that scared me so much become "home?"_

Before he could answer his own question, he was brought up short as Riken stopped next to a merchant's display. Winter clothing, including imports from the west as well as China and Korea filled the table. Riken was looking at a pair of red gloves far too small to fit him.

"Riken san?" Ganryuu asked.

"I was thinking of getting these for Susukihotaru," Riken told him. "She has small hands and gets cold easily."

Ganryuu smiled and grabbed two pairs himself. "Good idea! We should all get them. It's always nice to bring home gifts when you've been on a trip."

Kei picked up a pair of purple gloves and checked to make sure they were the right size for Zakuro. He reached into his pocket for money, but froze at the last second.

"Wait!" he cried, causing the other two officers to stop just before handing money to the shopkeep.

"What is it?" Riken asked, expecting to hear his friend share some emergency with them.

"We're doing something stupid," Kei announced. "_Really_ stupid…"

Ganryuu looked from side to side anxiously. "We are? Are you sure?"

"How do you know this?" Riken asked.

"I'm getting that sense I get right before Zakuro yells at me," he told them. At their questioning looks, he elaborated. "It's like a conscience, but instead of scolding you, it just sounds terrified."

"But what is it?" Ganryuu asked. "Can you be more specific?"

"No," Kei growled.

Riken examined the gloves again, looking over them. Perhaps they were too small? The wrong color? Maybe Kei was just being overly cautious. Just because Zakuro would yell at him for a perceived slight didn't mean…

He blinked as he suddenly figured it out, his fingers touching the inside of the glove. "What is this made with?" he asked the shopkeep.

"Leather on the outside," the merchant said proudly. "But lined on the inside with fox fur so it's extra warm."

"Fox fur?!" Ganryuu asked. The three looked at each other and, as one, put the gloves back and started on their way again.

"That was close," Ganryuu said in relief. Riken nodded in agreement.

Kei, however, was smiling.

_It probably became home when that voice started speaking up_, he thought.

888

"Susukihotaru?"

The half-spirit blinked, shaken from her thoughts, turned to find Zakuro sitting next to her at the table. She hadn't remembered the other girl sitting down, she had been looking outside, at the gate.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "I guess I was lost in my own thoughts."

"I'll say," Zakuro agreed. "I've been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now."

"I'm sorry!" Susukihotaru cried. "Did you need me for something or…"

"Relax," the other fox woman told her. "I was just a little worried, that's all."

"Oh, I'm fine," Susukihotaru assured her. "Just…" She turned away and blushed just a bit.

"I'm sure he'll be back," Zakuro told her friend with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "If they were leaving forever they would have been told that, right? Or Kushimatsu would have heard something."

"Hai," Susukihotaru replied, but didn't seem consoled.

Zakuro shook her head. Everyone in this house seemed wrapped up around the soldiers except her. Susukihotaru was sulking at the very possibility of Riken leaving and the twins…

The fox spirit squinted as she spied the twins in the garden, Hozuki helping Bonbori into a tree next to the path that led from the gate to the house.

Okay, she had no idea what went through those girls' minds. But even if the soldiers left, it just meant that things would go back to the way they were. She'd miss Kei, sure, but…

Okay, she'd miss Kei a lot… coward that he was…

But even so… It wouldn't _that_ bad, right?

Right?

"I'm going to sit with you a bit, okay?" she asked Susukihotaru.

The other girl blinked at the sudden change. Smiling gently, she nodded.

888

It was warmer in Nagasaki than Tokyo, but not by much, and Lieutenant Akagi Makoto kept his coat buttoned up as he walked through the port city's main drag toward the train station. The first thing he had done after getting off the ferry from Kyushu was find a real barber. The sailors on the steamer that had brought him from California had done a fair enough job, but it was nowhere near Army standards.

The second thing he had done was telegraph his new commander for orders. It hadn't taken long to get a reply, which meant he now had a destination and an officer to report to. Kei Agemaki had been a class behind him at the academy, though he knew his father by reputation. If he were already a first lieutenant, he must be a very talented (or connected) soldier.

It didn't matter in any event. He had gotten the assignment he wanted, which meant his career was effectively over and the dreams he once had of rising to the rank of general were gone. He didn't care. His recent trip had shown him the true path of a soldier, and he would never turn from that path again.

Ever.

"THIIIIIEEEEEEFFFFF!"

The shout brought him up short as the crowd in front of him seemed to part before him, making room for a young woman who seemed to be wearing a sack who was running for dear life toward him.

"STOP HER! THIEF!"

Makoto stepped to one side, out of the woman's way, then pushed his foot out into her path. With a cry, the girl tripped and fell to the cobblestone street. He immediately stepped back into the road and turned to the source of the shouting, who soon caught up to them. A heavy-set man with ruddy jowls wheezed up to him.

"Thank you," he breathed raggedly. "That little filth robbed me."

Makoto turned to look down at the girl, who had rolled over onto her back and was looking up at him in abject terror. She would have attracted attention anywhere in this country, the red hair on her head being the first exotic flag, and the two pointed fox ears that protruded from this hair the second.

He turned back to the man. "How much did she get?" he asked.

"Took one of my apples," the shopkeep told him.

Makoto eyed the man up and down and nodded, reaching for his wallet. "How much?" he asked.

"Oh, no," the man told him with a shake of his head. "We've been dealing with these little half-spirit vermin for weeks. She's going to the police."

"You're going to make a case out of this?" Makoto asked skeptically.

"They've all over the damn place all of a sudden," the shopkeep explained. "Rooting through our garbage, stealing the food we leave out for the dogs. They're pests!"

Makoto gave the girl another look. She appeared no older than seventeen, though skin and bones as she was, accurately determining her age was impossible just by looking at her. The sack she was wearing appeared to be something that used to carry fruit or coal. She hardly looked like a bandit, and the fear in her eyes was hardly animalistic.

"All right," Makoto relented. "As a soldier in the Imperial Army, I will investigate this case," he announced. "Of course, in the interest of due process, we will have to collect evidence. Your place of business will have to be cordoned off until investigators can arrive from Tokyo to collect physical evidence."

The shopkeep blanched. "What?! How long will that take?!"

"A week or so," Makoto told him. "Plus, you will have to go to Tokyo afterward and testify…"

"I can't do that! I'll lose business!"

Though his hand was kept nowhere near it, Makoto turned to make sure that his Schofield was in full view of all concerned. "That is what I feel, as the lead investigator, is necessary for a conviction," he said. "Or… I can pay for the apple, buy another dozen from you right now, and we can let this one go."

The shopkeep grumbled as he glared down at the half-spirit. "Fine," he growled finally.

"How much for the apples?" Makoto asked.

The shopkeep announced his price, one that Makoto wouldn't have even considered paying in other circumstances but in the interest of peace he did so. The shopkeep left to get the soldiers extra dozen apples, and Makoto turned back to the half-spirit still cowering on the ground behind him.

"No fear, girl," he said. "On your feet."

The redhead stood up, but kept her head bowed submissively before him. "You are not going to hurt me?" she asked.

"No," he told her.

"Why?" she asked meekly.

"The man still had his money pouch on him," Makoto told her. "Anyone who passes up gold to steal a piece of fruit is hungry indeed." The shopkeep returned at this moment and handed him the sack of apples. Makoto took them and turned right around, offering the sack to the half-spirit. The shopkeep marched off in a huff.

"Do you live here?" he asked her as she took the sack from him.

She shook her head, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"My name?" she whispered.

"What do they call you?" he elaborated, wondering about the cognitive abilities of this young girl and beginning to think she might be mentally disabled.

"Snake Catcher," she replied.

"'Snake Catcher?'" he repeated. "That's your name?"

She licked her lips, unsure of what answer would satisfy this stranger. "It's what they would yell when they wanted me," she replied.

"Wanted you for what?" he pressed.

For the first time, the girl looked up at him. "To catch snakes," she said, sounding like she thought _he_ might be mentally disabled. "I was the only one small enough to go under the houses to where the poisonous snakes were nesting and catch them," she elaborated.

He blinked at this statement.

"I was good at it," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "I was faster than them." She dropped her gaze again.

Makoto looked down at her for several moments. "Not faster than that fat shopkeep, though, were you?"

She licked her lips, her face reddening in shame. "I… I was hungry," she explained.

The young officer made a decision. "I'm on my way to meet some new friends," he told her. "They might be able to help you. You can come with me if you like."

The girl looked skeptical. "Wh… What do I have to _do_… to come with you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just come with me."

She paused.

"Or, you can stay here and see how long those apples last you before you're stealing again."

He turned to go. "You coming?" he asked.

She swallowed and nodded her head. "Yes, Master."

888

Susukihotaru's ears twitched, and she looked up quickly toward the gate. The sun had gone down an hour ago and the last traces of twilight were beginning to fade away in favor of night's darkness. She smiled broadly as she realized who it was coming through the gate.

"Zakuro," she called. "They're back."

She turned back as Ganryuu led the way, striding up the path. Just as he passed under one of the cherry trees, there was a sudden cry in the darkness.

"BONBOOBY TRAP!"

The lieutenant looked up and cried out in terror as the blonde twin launched herself from the tree and collided with him at full speed.

"Hozuki! Bring the chains!" she cried.

Zakuro and Susukihotaru sighed in resignation as Hozuki ran past them with the "Chains of Love," they had used the previous day.

"She's been sitting in that tree since lunch time," Zakuro noted quietly, her eyebrow twitching.

"You have to give them credit," Susukihotaru told her. "They're dedicated to their cause."

"Hozuki san! Bonbori san! Let me up! It's okay! We're staying! WE'RE STAYING!"

The twins sat up on their knees and looked down at him hopefully. "You promise?" they demanded in unison.

"Yes!"

"It's true," Kei corroborated, standing behind them. "Our new commander wants us to stay." He looked up and smiled at Zakuro. "We're not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, we're getting a new soldier as well."

Zakuro stood up and frowned back at him. "Great," she muttered. "More Jesuit nonsense…"

Kei chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Susukihotaru approached Riken. "Did you have a pleasant trip?" she asked, remaining an arm's length from the giant.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"I'm glad," she returned.

"You know the most infuriating thing about them?" Kei heard a whisper in his ear. Startled, he jumped and turned to find Zakuro standing next to him. Used to his cowardly antics, she simply continued her thought as they watched the other couple chastely greet one another. "It's that there's an entirely different conversation going on between them that we're not privy to."

Kei turned back to Riken and Susukihotaru and smiled. "They'll be okay," he said.

"Eh?" Zakuro asked. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing!" Kei told her. "But it's good news that they're expanding Spirit Affairs, don't you think?"

The fox girl's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. Do they think there's enough for us to do?"

"Actually, there may be," Ganryuu said as he finally got to his feet. "The commander is worried about all those half-spirits who ran away during the fire at the Village of Oracles."

"Worried how?" Zakuro asked.

Kei could see the suspicious gears beginning to turn in his partner's head. "He's concerned that since they've spent their whole lives as prisoners they may have trouble learning to live in this world. He wants us to help them."

"That's so nice of him!" Hozuki cried, clasping her hands in front of her.

Kei nodded and turned back to Zakuro. "This is the kind of thing Spirit Affairs can do to really help someone."

"He's right," Susukihotaru spoke up. "Zakuro," she said with a smile, "This is our chance to do for others what Kushimatsu did for us!"

Zakuro nodded, a smile touching her lips for the first time. "So where do we start?" she asked.

"Um… I don't know," Kei admitted.

Darkness fell over Zakuro's eyes again. "Ugh…" She turned and started for the house again.

"Are you hungry?" Susukihotaru asked. "We saved you some dinner."

"That sounds wonderful," Riken told her.

Kei watched as the others walked into the manor and bit his lip. Zakuro's question had been a good one, and as the new officer in charge here, he should have had a better answer to give her than "I don't know."

He looked up at the new evening's stars. Susukihotaru was right. This was a chance to give half-spirits the same chance at a good life that Kushimatsu has given the four of them here.

_I'm going to do better_, he promised himself. _Tomorrow, first thing, I'm going to come up with a plan._

Until then, however, there was dinner and a warm futon waiting for him.

888

It was nearly pitch-black in the passenger car, trapped in the night's stillness by an accident further up the track. Until it was cleared, they were stuck. But that was all right. Even if they arrived this evening it would have been too late to try to find Spirit Affairs in the dark.

Makoto looked over at the half-spirit girl sleeping fitfully in the seat next to him, the sack of apples clutched tightly in her hands. The temperature had dropped again, and she was shivering, her ears twitching spasmodically.

He quietly removed his uniform coat and put it over her sleeping form. He hoped that Spirit Affairs would be able to do something for her. It sounded like the kind of situation they were supposed to deal with. He didn't know for sure.

But it had to be better than where he found her. That was for sure.

He turned back to her as he heard her stir beneath the coat. She blinked as she realized what was keeping her warm and quickly pulled it off her, holding it up to him.

"Please, Master!" she cried. "You'll be cold!"

"One, I'm fine," he told her sternly. "Two, I've asked you numerous times to not call me that."

"I'm sorry, Master!" she cried, half-cringing.

He let out a frustrated but sympathetic breath. "Look, just call me 'Makoto,' all right?"

"Yes, Master Makoto."

"No, just 'Makoto.'"

"Yes, Makoto sama."

He sighed. "Okay, you know what? Close enough." He smiled and shook his head, giving up for now. The cavalry officer decided to try to get a little revenge. "Now, as to what to call you… I'm not going to call you 'Snake Catcher.' It's not a proper name." He grit his teeth in anger. "It's a slave name."

"But if you don't call me that, how will I know when you need me to catch snakes?" she asked innocently.

As she looked at him with this question, he looked back and wondered what kind of life this girl must have led to be like this. She had obviously been a slave, her behavior and the snippets of her life she had shared with him the last few hours had made that apparent. But this was a new Japan, a new world, and in the new world, you didn't force nameless half-spirits to crawl under houses looking for poisonous snakes.

"I am not going to ask you to catch snakes," he told her as plainly as he could. "You never have to catch snakes again. Not for me or anyone else. Do you understand?"

"But then what will I do?" she asked.

"What do you want to do?" he asked in return.

"I… want to be not hungry," she shared. "And I want to be not cold. And I don't want to be hit. Can I do those things?"

He paused at the question. "Yeah," he answered quietly. "Yeah, you can not be those things."

Makoto turned and looked out the window, unable to look this girl in the eye at the moment. He still didn't know what to call her, but she needed a proper name. "Snake Catcher," was close to "snake charmer..."

"What do you think of the name, 'Miryoku?'" he asked her.

She blinked at him. "'Miryoku?'" she asked, testing it out with her tongue. "It's pretty," she gushed with a smile.

"Then how about we call you that from now on?" he asked. "Instead of 'Snake Catcher?'"

"Yes, Master!"

He sighed again and looked out the window.

"So… so I know… _that's_ what you'll shout when you need me to catch snakes, right?"

"Go back to sleep, Miryoku," he ordered.

"Yes, Master."

888

"You have no idea how this thing works, do you?" Kei asked him seriously.

"I know exactly how it works," Ganryuu replied defensively while he toweled himself off. "I just don't know how to turn it off or on… or adjust the temperature… or keep it from burning down the house."

It truly was a modern miracle. The temperature had dropped again last night, and the almanac was promising snow tonight. The house itself was getting colder, except for places like the bath where hot water was constantly being brought in by the triplets. Yet in the basement it was like a sauna. Kei had never been to Indochina, but he had classmates who had been there, and if they were here, in this basement, today, they would swear they were back in those steaming jungles.

It was over ninety degrees in the basement and humid. Ganryuu, working diligently to fix the new western heater, had stripped off his shirt for comfort, and although Kei had only been down in the basement for a few minutes, he was already starting to sweat.

"Perhaps we should just turn it off," Kei suggested.

"No!"

He turned and found the owner of the cry. Hozuki and Bonbori were sitting not far away, fanning themselves.

"That's right," Hozuki added to her sister's objection. "Ganryuu sama believes in the power of this machine, and we support wholeheartedly his efforts to make it work!"

"Here, Ganryuu sama, let's towel you off," Bonbori suggested, rising to her feet and walking up to the soldier, patting his left shoulder with a towel while Hozuki took the right.

"Um… thanks," Ganryuu told them nervously. Kei's eyes narrowed at the possible ulterior motive.

"We shall remain here day in and day out, if necessary," Hozuki told Kei. "Supporting Ganryuu sama as he wrestles this device into submission."

"Or until the temperature drops low enough for him to put his shirt back on," Kei summarized.

The twins gasped at the statement.

"How could you?!" Bonbori cried, tears in her eyes.

"How could you imply that pure and chaste maidens such as ourselves would only assist dear Ganryuu sama so that we could see him partially nude?!" Hozuki added.

Kei started and took a step back. "That's… that's not what I meant!"

"How scandalous!" Hozuki wept, holding onto Ganryuu's arm.

"How insulting!" Bonbori piled on, grabbing the other.

"With such a rumor, we'd never be able to show our faces in public again!"

"The shame! The shame, Hozuki!"

"I'm… I'm going to let you get back to work!" Kei cried. The officer turned and ran for the basement steps while the twins wept openly into their partner's shoulders.

The door slammed shut, and the twins raised their eyes again.

"Ah! Ganryuu sama!" Hozuki began, smiling as if the prior sixty seconds hadn't happened. "You need to be toweled off again. Allow me…"

"Would you like some water, Ganryuu sama?" Bonbori asked, raising a cup to his lips. "Here, allow me to… ah! I spilled some… Let me get that for you…"

888

"So, he wants to find the lost half-spirits."

Kushimatsu nodded as she watched the elephant spirit try to balance a pair of chopsticks between his "hands." Having mastered drinking tea with them, Amaryoju had decided to move onto the next step, however, Kushimatsu feared this may be a bridge too far for the elder spirit.

"I am not sure yet what to make of this man, Mizuno," she told him. "After that business with Hanadate, I am more… cautious… when it comes to the humans who come to Spirit Affairs."

"Certainly you are not suspicious of our three young officers," Amaryoju replied, managing to get one chopstick balanced on one of his hands.

"Of course not," the fox spirit told him. "After everything they've done, they are more like family… sons-in-law, even. But never again will I take such things on face value."

"Hmmm," the elephant spirit said in response. "I see…"

"Do you?"

He nodded. "You really do need fingers to make these work."

Kushimatsu sighed, and Amaryoju dropped the chopstick back onto the table.

"Perhaps if I used my trunk," he theorized.

"Amaryoju sama…" Kushimatsu sighed.

"And what will you do about the new addition due to us today?" the elder spirit asked her, proving that he was actually paying attention after all.

The fox spirit paused for a moment. "I suppose I will keep an eye on him… until he proves himself."

"Hmmmm," Amaryoju responded.

888

Makoto and Miryoku stood outside the gate while the cavalry officer checked the address. "This is it," he announced.

The red-headed fox girl looked up at the manor and swallowed nervously. "Is this where your friends live?" she asked.

"We'll find out," he replied, walking through the gate and up to the front door. Reaching out, he pulled the rope for the bell. "If nothing else, we can get out of the cold for a bit."

Miryoko looked up as the door opened, and her eyes went wide. Stepping back in fear, she missed a step and fell on her backside, shaking her head in terror.

"No!" she gasped. "No!"

Before she could bolt, she felt a strong hand grab her shoulder.

"Miryoku!" Makoto cried, taking a hold of her. "It's okay! Calm down!"

"It's one of them!" Miryoku cried. "It's a fox spirit! We have to run, Master! Please!"

Standing over them, Kushimatsu arched an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" Taken aback by the sudden production, she finally noticed the ears on the girl's head and gasped. "A half-spirit?"

"Please, Master!" Miryoku babbled. "She'll tears us apart and eat us! Please!"

"It's all right, child," Kushimatsu told her, falling to her knees in front of her and holding her hands out to show they were empty. "No one is going to hurt you."

"Hear that?" Makoto piled on. "She's not going to hurt you. She looks like a very nice… fox… dog… spirit thing…"

"I am Kushimatsu," the spirit informed him. "A _fox_ spirit, thank you."

"Sorry," Makoto told her sheepishly as he still fought to keep Miryoku from running. "It's the snout…"

"I get that a lot," Kushimatsu told him in defeat.

"See?" Makoto told the girl. "She seems very nice."

Slowly, Miryoku started to calm down. "If one of us ran away," she whispered. "They would send the fox spirits to find them…"

"You are from the Village of Oracles," Kushimatsu declared in honest surprise.

Miyroku nodded quickly, still deathly afraid of the fox woman.

"I used to live there," Kushimatsu told her, still careful to not appear threatening. "A very long time ago. I left long ago… so I could help half-spirits like you. I'm not like the fox spirits you knew."

"She's not going to hurt you," Makoto told her gently. "I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"

Miryoku looked up at him. "Are you sure?" she asked pitifully.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "Let's give this place a chance. At the end of the day, if you still think they're going to hurt you, we'll leave, okay?"

The half-spirit swallowed nervously, but nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Okay," he said. He rose to his feet and helped Miryoku to hers. Turning, he offered Kushimatsu a parade-ground salute as the fox spirit came to a stand herself. "Second Lieutenant Akagi Makoto, reporting for duty."

Kushimatsu eyed him up and down. So this was the man she would be watching…

"And this is Miryoku," he told her.

The fox spirit eyed her as well. "You dress her in a burlap sack and make her call you 'master?'" she asked warily.

Makoto blanched. "No! I…"

"Master found me yesterday," Miryoku replied, finding enough courage to defend her master even from the fox monster that terrified her for years. "He saved me and gave me food and kept me warm. If I call him 'master,' he becomes angry with me, but… I find it hard not to." She trailed off as her courage ran out of steam.

"I see," Kushimatsu told her gently. "Why don't you come inside then and get warm?"

The two followed Kushimatsu inside. Miryoku gazed about the manor in wonder.

"We were expecting you," Kushimatsu told Makoto. "But not a half-spirit as well."

"I found her in Nagasaki yesterday," he explained. "I was hoping you could help her here. She… has had it kind of rough."

"I understand, and of course she is welcome to stay as long as she likes," Kushimatsu told them both, turning her snout toward the girl, who backed up a pace in fright. She raised her paws and clapped twice. "Zakuro! Susukihotaru! Hozuki! Bonbori!"

"Coming!" a girl's voice called back.

Kushimatsu turned to them. "We'll ask the girls to get you something nice to wear and some food," she promised Miryoku. "And you, Lieutenant, can report to Agemaki san."

"Thank you," Makoto told her.

Miryoku's eyes went wide as Zakuro and Susukihotaru turned the corner and entered the room. The twins followed a moment later, toweling sweat from their brows having emerged from the scorching basement a few moments ago. The half-spirits came up short at the sight of the new girl in their midst.

The red-head gazed at them in abject wonder. "They're so pretty," she whispered in amazement.

"Everyone," Kushimatsu began, "This is Lieutenant Akagi Makoto…" Makoto bowed on cue, "…and Miryoku san."

"Ah! A half-spirit!" Bonbori cried.

"Miryoku san used to live in the Village of Oracles," Kushimatsu explained, "But will be living here from now on. I was hoping you would get her settled in."

"Of course," Susukihotaru replied, stepping forward while the twins took either of the girl's arms.

"Come on!" Bonbori cried. "We'll get a good soak in first!"

"Then find you something to wear!" Hozuki added.

The three of them all but dragged Miryoku down the hall. She looked behind herself at Makoto. "Master! Are you sure this o…"

Then she was around the corner and gone.

"Zakuro kun," Kushimatsu addressed the only remaining girl. "Please take Akagi san to Akemagi san and then join the rest of the girls."

"Yes, Kushimatsu san." She nodded down the other hall. "Come on," she said. "The wuss is down this way."

Makoto fell into step with her as she led him down the hall.

"So," she began, "Are you afraid of spirits too?" she asked.

888

At first she begged them to stop. It was horrible. The two identical half-spirits were utterly terrifying as they fell upon her. She cried out as the instruments in their hand descended, but after a few minutes of scrubbing and several rinses, Miyroku was starting to relax.

"We have to get everywhere," Bonbori told her as she scrubbed.

"Then we can all have a nice soak together," Hozuki added.

Observing from the main bath, Susukihotaru bit her lip. "Be gentle, Bonbori san, Hozuki san," she called. "This is all new to her and she's very frightened."

"All done!" Bonbori declared, upending a pail of warm water over the new girl's head.

"Here we go, this way!" Hozuki said, leading her to the water. "And…"

"There…" both twins finished as Miryoku sat down in the water, blinking her eyes. The water was warm and the feeling very comfortable. She started as the twins entered the water on either side of her.

Susukihotaru offered her a gentle smile. "Better?" she asked.

Miryoku nodded, her eyes half-closing as the warm water soaked into her skin.

"I'm back!"

She opened her eyes again as the other half-spirit entered the bath and sat down across from Susukihotaru. She smiled at the red-head. "Hi, I'm Zakuro."

"I'm Sna… er… Miryoku," she corrected.

"We knew a new soldier was coming," Bonbori told her.

"But we didn't think he would be bringing a partner with him," Hozuki finished.

"Partner?" Miryoku repeated. "No, Makoto sama is my master."

"'Master?'" Susukihotaru asked, blinking in puzzlement.

"You mean you're his slave?" Zakuro asked, her eyes narrowing.

"How awful!" Susukihotaru added.

"Oh, no!" Miryoku corrected them. "I'm not his slave, and he tells me not to call him 'master,' but he is my master, so it's hard not to call him 'master.' See?"

The other girls were silent for a moment.

"I totally get it," Bonbori announced.

"You do?" Hozuki asked.

"No," Bonbori admitted with a sigh. "I was just trying to be supportive."

Miryoku sighed and looked down at the water. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry," Susukihotaru told her. "We're just concerned for you."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Zakuro asked.

"You escaped from the Village of Oracles, didn't you?" Hozuki asked.

"During the fire?" Bonbori elaborated.

"Yes," Miryoku replied to all of them at once. "It all started the night of the fire…"

888

"It's good to meet you," Kei said as he bowed to the newest addition of Spirit Affairs. Standing together in his room, which was now doubling as his office, it was not the best place to receive visitors, but he was making do.

"And you, Sir," Makoto told him with a deep bow of his own.

Kei cleared his throat. He wasn't used to anyone calling him "sir." Ganryuu and Riken weren't, after all, and none of the girls would ever consider it. It felt weird and awkward, but he wasn't sure if it was right to tell Makoto not to.

He decided to split the difference. "We're a very close group here," he told him. "Less formal than a regular line unit, understand?" he said. "Each of us is teamed up with a half-spirit partner, and we work together on whatever assignment Kushimatsu issues to us."

"What kind of assignments?" he asked.

"It depends, really," Kei said. "Sometimes it's dealing with spiritual oddities that no one else knows how to deal with. Haunted hotels, possessed katanas, giant, man-eating spider women…"

"Those reports must be something else," Makoto allowed with a smile.

"Yeah, well…" Kei trailed off. "So, what about you? Where are you coming in from?"

Makoto looked uncomfortable at the question. "The United States," he said.

Kei blinked. "The west?"

The junior lieutenant nodded. "I was a special military envoy assigned to observe how the U.S. Army was…" He trailed off for a moment before finishing. "Dealing with issues that came up during their expansion west."

888

"_We could all hear that something was going on in the halls above us. There was a lot of crashing and yelling. We were all afraid. And then Daidai opened our cell door."_

The door swung open, and Daidai's grinning face appeared. "Everyone! Get out! Leave!"

Snake Catcher and her cellmates, Candle Lighter and Floor Scrubber, sat in the corner, totally thrown off by this sudden development.

"But if we leave, they'll send the foxes after us," Floor Scrubber told her.

"Don't worry about that!" Daidai cried jubilantly. "Lady Rangui will take care of them! Just go! Run! And don't look back!"

"_Given an order by one of the special ones, the three of us ran. The halls were filled with smoke and half-spirits stampeding for the exits. I do not know why Daidai freed us, but we heeded her words and we ran out of the building and towards the gates. We kept running, the three of us remaining together, running until we were so tired and thirsty that we could not run anymore. When we finally looked back, we couldn't see the village anymore. Even the stars were different. We were far away… where ever far away was…"_

"Where are we?" Candle Lighter asked. "Snake Catcher, you're allowed outside, do you know where this is?"

Snake Catcher shook her head. The forest around them seemed to close in on them like a malevolent being.

"We should go back!" Floor Scrubber cried. "Maybe if we go back now, the Master will not be angry!"

"How?!" Candle Lighter demanded. "Which way do we go? Do you even know how to go back?"

Silence from the three of them as they suddenly realized with dawning horror that even that last awful choice was closed to them.

"What do we do?" Snake Catcher asked. Her stomach rumbled and she realized a new problem. "If we don't know where we are, how will the Slop Man find us?"

"_The Slop Man was a spirit who gave us food in the morning. We called him 'Slop Man' because when he would pour our food into bowls, it made a 'slop!' sound. We decided to sleep and hope he would find us in the morning, but he didn't. We got so hungry that we ate grass and plants… some of them made us sick, but we were very hungry. We continued on and that's when we found the city."_

"_At first, we thought it was a dream. There was food everywhere! But when we tried to eat some, the people pushed us away, said that we had to have money to take food. Candle Lighter started to cry, it seemed like such a cruel act. After everything else, to have so much food in front of us and to be told we couldn't have any. It was awful. And then… the man found us."_

"Hey there, girls."

The trio looked up from their trudge through the alley and found the source of the greeting. A thin man with a pointed nose and a small scar on his chin was smiling at them. He sized them up, scraggly hair, but in exotic colors, the fox ears, the ribs protruding from the skin visible in the holes in the bags they had scrounged for clothing. He smiled.

"You look hungry. You want something to eat?"

The half-spirits looked at him hopefully.

"We… we don't have anything to give," Candle Lighter told him hesitantly, not willing to abandon hope just yet.

"That's okay," the man told them. "We can work something out. Just come with me."

"_He led us to a building not far away. It looked dirty. There were human women there, and men with them. They smiled but their eyes were sad. They wore kimonos and paint on their faces… I … I don't know why, but I was suddenly scared. I didn't want to go in there. I thought if I went in… I wouldn't be able to come out…"_

Snake Catcher grabbed Floor Scrubber's arm. The other half-spirit looked back at her.

"What is it?" Floor Scrubber asked her.

"I don't want to go in there," the red-head told her.

"But there's food in there," Floor Scrubber assured her. "And it's warm."

"Come on, girls," the man called, turning and walking up to them. "We have rice and fruit and plenty of sake." He smiled unctuously.

The more he smiled, the more Snake Catcher knew she was right. "No, we can't go in there!"

"It'll be okay, Snake Catcher," Candle Lighter told her. Her eyes were desperate from hunger. "Please, don't ruin this. Aren't you hungry? We're all hungry!"

"We can't go in there," Snake Catcher told them.

"Look, we're wasting time," the man told them gruffly. "Now come on."

The other two half-spirits nodded their assent and turned, preceding the man into the building. The man looked at Snake Catcher, who stood stock-still, rooted to the spot.

"Come on, let's go," he ordered, reaching out to grab her arm.

He blinked, and she was gone. His hand had grabbed nothing. Turning, he saw the half-spirit running down the alley away from him as fast as she could.

The man grunted and turned, walking up the stairs into the building and out of sight.

"_I went back and hid in the alley, watching the building, waiting for Candle Lighter and Floor Scrubber to come out… but they never did. I waited until the sun came up and went down again, up and down again, but I never saw them again. Finally, I was so hungry and weak, I went to look for food. I dug through the garbage, eating banana peels and anything else I could choke down. Then, I saw this fat man selling the juiciest looking red fruit I had ever seen…"_

"STOP! THIEF!"

She ran, the fruit clutched tightly in her hand, panting as she put all the energy she had left into her escape. Snake Catcher knew the fat man was behind her, trying to keep up and doing a much better job than he would have if she weren't already so weak.

The crowd parted in front of her, eager to step out of the way and not get involved. She saw one man in an olive drab coat standing before her, and he, too, stepped out of the way… before sticking his foot out.

She hit the ground with a painful cry and rolled over, bracing herself to be beaten. But instead of facing her, the man in olive drab was confronting the fat man.

"_That's when Master found me…"_

888

The half-spirits stared at her in wonder. Uncomfortable with the attention, Miryoku stared down at the water.

"What a sad story," Bonbori commented. Hozuki nodded in agreement.

"At least it had a somewhat happy ending," Susukihotaru noted.

"But what kind of place was that?" Hozuki asked. "Why would that man want your friends?"

"I don't know," Miryoku told them. "All I know is that it _felt_ bad. And they never came out again."

"Maybe one of the men know," Susukihotaru theorized.

"Yeah, we'll have to ask them about it," Zakuro resolved.

"In the meantime, it will be time for dinner soon, so we should get dressed," Susukihotaru said, standing up. She smiled at Miryoku. "I think we have something that will fit you."

888

"Bonbori, pull that end a little tighter," Susukihotaru ordered. "Zakuro, fluff the bow a little."

Standing on Miryoku's right, Zakuro smiled at her. "You can tell Susukihotaru was the one who played with dolls growing up," she confided in the new girl.

"And it's paying dividends now, isn't it?" Susukihotaru noted. Standing in front of Miryoku, she continued directing the others as they made the final touches to the red-head's kimono. "And… there," she said.

Hozuki and Bonbori brought a large mirror in and placed it in front of Miryoku. The girl looked over her reflection as the others gathered around her. In place of her tattered apple sack, the half-spirits had put her in a pink and white kimono like their own. The twins, meanwhile, had arranged her hair into two ponytails that fell behind her back.

"What do you think?" Bonbori asked with a broad smile.

Miryoku sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes.

Hozuki's face fell. "Oh! Don't cry! If you don't like it we can try something else!"

The red-head tried to stop the tears, but couldn't. She shook her head from side to side, sending her pony tails flapping about.

"I'm so pretty," she gasped out. "You made me as pretty as you."

Susukihotaru smiled. "I think you're even prettier," she told the half-spirit.

They turned at the sound of a knock on the door. Zakuro opened it and found Kei and Makoto there.

"Maidens are dressing," she told him in a warning tone.

"Kushimatsu sent us to get you for dinner," Makoto told her.

At hearing his voice, Miryoku turned. "Master!" she cried. "Look!" She started for the door. "They made me pre…" This last word was replaced by an urgent cry as the half-spirit, not used to the limited length of stride provided for by a kimono, tripped over herself and fell to the floor.

The twins helped her up.

"Small steps," Bonbori warned.

Miryoku wouldn't be stopped. "Master!" she cried again, taking smaller steps as she rushed forward. "They made me pretty!" She hugged him and cried into his coat. "Thank you!" she cried. "Thank you for bringing me here!"

"I take that to mean you don't want to leave," Makoto remarked, placing his hands on her shoulders with a smile.

Miryoku shook her head violently. "No, please! Please let me stay!"

"Well," he said, "If it's all right with them…"

888

Zakuro's eyebrow twitched as she looked down at the cup of white liquid in her hands. This again…

"I'm never going to accept this stuff, you know," she remarked to Kei under her breath.

"You don't have to drink it," he told her again. "I don't understand why you make a big deal out of it every time."

"Because they keep giving it to me every time," she growled. "And I keep telling them I don't want… hey!"

This last bit was called as the offending cup was snatched out of her hand. Looking to her right, she found Miryoku gulping it down like a woman dying of thirst. When she was done, she put it down again with a "thank you," and moved on. No longer preoccupied with the cow milk, Zakuro now had the chance to see what everyone else had been watching for the first two minutes of dinner.

Miryoku was pushing food into her mouth with her bare hands as fast as she could shovel it in there. The others watched with expressions of scandalized pity.

Bonbori reached across the table to offer her something. "Chopsticks?" she asked.

Miryoku took the sticks and studied them for a moment. Then put the tip of one into her mouth and bit down. Bonbori's eyes went wide in amazement as the young half-spirit moved the stick further into her mouth, bit down with her molars and broke the stick off in her mouth.

She chewed for a moment but couldn't hide the distaste on her face. The girl pulled the stick fragment from her mouth and put it back on her plate. "I'm sorry," she said. "It isn't very good."

"At least her teeth are healthy," Susukihotaru noted sheepishly.

"Here," Zakuro said, taking the girl's hand and putting a new set of chopsticks between her fingers. "Like this… and this…" She held up her own chopsticks and demonstrated on a piece of cucumber.

Miryoku looked at the sticks between her fingers and tried to manipulate them, but looked on, crestfallen, as one of them fell from her hand and landed on her plate. She bit her lip and reached for her plate again, grabbing some rice with her fingers.

"Miryoku san," Makoto spoke up from his seat across from her. "Zakuro san is teaching you something important. Try again."

The girl looked defeated but picked up the dastardly utensils again anyway. Zakuro reached over and helped her while Makoto turned back to the group. They had all made introductions before dinner, and he couldn't help but notice how happy the group seemed. He had imagined a group of humans working with spirits to have some forced element to it, an artificial civility, and yet dinner seemed more like one of the meals he had had back home as a boy.

"Akagi san," Ganryuu began from further down on his right. "Akemagi san says you were stationed in America. Is that true?"

"Ooooh! America!" the twins twittered.

"Do you speak any American?" Hozuki asked. She cleared her throat. "Parlez vouz…"

"That's German, Hozuki!" Bonbori corrected.

"As if there were really a difference!" Hozuki sniffed.

"Er… That's right, Hanakiri san," Makoto answered. "I was a military observer."

"A very important job," Riken noted from further down the table.

"Yeah, I learned a few things," Makoto responded.

"Like what?" Hanakiri prodded.

Makoto cleared his throat nervously and sipped his milk. "Cavalry techniques," he said. "New weapons… tactics… things like that…"

"Is that where you got that pistol?" Riken asked.

The cavalry officer froze.

"I thought it was Russian at first," Riken went on.

"No," Makoto said uneasily. "Though they use the same model. Miryoku! Keep trying!"

The girl looked up at him and blinked at the sudden scolding. She _was_ trying. It wasn't as if she had given up. The sticks were still in her hands…

He looked up and found Susukihotaru staring at him, right at him… no, that wasn't right… it was like she was staring _through_ him.

"Agemaki san was telling me a little about the things you've done here," Makoto suddenly changed the subject. "Including something about a spider woman…"

"Sure could have used a gun _then_," Ganryuu complained quietly.

As the subject moved away from him, Makoto looked up. Riken's partner was still staring at him. He looked away and concentrated on his own meal.

"Hey, while you're all here together, can you answer a question for us?" Zakuro spoke up. By this time Miryoku was doing a fair job of eating with chopsticks and she felt now was a good time to bring up the topic.

"Sure," Kei responded.

Zakuro quickly described the building from Miryoku's story, including every detail she could remember. Those she didn't, the other girls were quick to add.

Dead silence met her, all four men staring right at her.

"So… am I supposed to guess what it is until I get it right?" she asked.

"I don't know, I've never used one!" Ganryuu was quick to state, sitting down and drinking his milk loudly.

"What is it?" Susukihotaru asked.

"You're describing a brothel," Makoto told her plainly.

"'Brothel?'" Zakuro repeated, trying the word out for herself.

"They make soups?" Bonbori ventured.

"No, a brothel is a place where women sell their bodies for money," Makoto told her.

Miryoku's chopsticks froze.

"They're usually all over the port cities because of all the ships that come in," Makoto continued.

"'Sell their bodies?'" Susukihotaru asked, the idea utterly alien to her. "Why would they do that?"

"A lot of them have no choice," Riken spoke up. "They or their relatives get into debt with the Yakuza and they have to sell themselves to pay it off. They're not allowed to leave until they do, making them prisoners to…"

"Okay!" Zakuro interrupted, seeing the tears welling up in Miryoku's eyes. "We get the idea! It's a bad place! You could have… just said 'bad place,' okay?"

Makoto saw the tears falling onto Miryoku's plate. "Miryoku?"

She looked up, utterly miserable. "Oh, Master… Candle Lighter and Floor Scrubber… They're trapped in that bad place."

888

"I don't understand," Ganryuu said with a shake of his head. He turned from the window where it had just started snowing outside and looked at the rest of the group assembled in Kushimatsu's office. "Most humans won't use the same toilet as a spirit, why would they… you know…"

"Same reason a man will buy a motorcar instead of a new horse," Makoto bit out. "Because it's novel and different."

"So what do we do?" Bonbori asked.

"We can't leave them in such a place!" Hozuki concurred.

Kushimatsu sighed. "I will send for the constabulary, and ask them for assistance."

"That's not going to work," Makoto told her. "Places like this survive by knowing what the constabulary will do. We ask them for help, it'll get back to them. They'll leave a few whores behind to get arrested and the rest will be taken somewhere else."

"Then we'll never find them," Ganryuu added.

"No," Kei spoke up. "These girls are half-spirits… and we're Spirit Affairs." He looked up at Kushimatsu. "This is our jurisdiction. It's up to us to do something." He turned his head and caught Zakuro's eye, who looked back at him in approval.

"Kei kun is right," Zakuro spoke up. "This is our job."

"Very well, First Lieutenant Agemaki," Kushimatsu relented. "What is your plan?"

Kei gulped. Everyone was looking to him. He took a breath and looked over at Zakuro again. She too was looking to him for guidance. That in itself was odd for her until he realized that it wasn't that she didn't have her own ideas, but that she realized that it was his place, as leader, to propose a plan first. She may not agree with what he came up with, but she would support it.

She was his partner.

"We need to hit them from the inside out," he declared.

888

"Hey! Mister! Mister! Look at the tall buildings! Oooooh!"

His hand firmly and Zakuro's arm, he looked over at the half-spirit and grumbled under his breath. "Tone it down a little, okay? You're supposed to be naïve and scared, not a moron."

Zakuro looked up at him with vacant eyes that somehow still managed to be threatening. "Would you rather I _resist_?" she asked him.

He gulped and shook his head, trying to remind himself that he was supposed to be the street tough in this arrangement. He had swapped his uniform for a simple pair of brown pants and a western style shirt. Zakuro, meanwhile, had undergone a complete metamorphosis. She wore Miryoku's apple sack like an impromptu dress and a pair of mismatched sandals scraped from the back of the twins' closet. Dirt smudged her cheek, and her hair hung limp without ornamentation. The final piece of the puzzle was Mamezo, clutched limp in her arms like a stuffed toy.

"Good," she twittered. "Now _look at the tall buildings!"_

"They're really tall!" he agreed as he at least _tried_ look like he was dragging her down Nagasaki's back alleys. As he finished this thought, he made eye contact with Riken, also dressed in civilian clothes and making a production of buying a spice cake from a vendor for his "wife," who had wisely chosen to wear a warm hat this evening. Seeing them there let him know they were getting close.

Sure enough, the two-story clay structure stood like an open sore at the end of the alley mashed between a tavern and a run-down apothecary.

"Can I have a spice cake, Mister?" Zakuro asked.

"No, Zaku, we need to talk to an important man," Kei told her as they walked up the steps. A heavy-set man stood up and stepped in front of him. The tattoos on his arm hinted at a Yakuza affiliation, though Kei wouldn't be sure unless he could see more of them.

"Can I help you?" the man asked with a smile. "This isn't a hotel, but we do rent rooms."

"Actually, I heard that you might be buying merchandise," Kei said.

"I guess that depends on what you're selling," the man replied.

Kei smiled and pulled Zakuro forward. "Fox fur."

The man looked down at her, and Zakuro looked down at her feet. He put his hand on the top of her head, checking her ears. She squeaked at the touch. "Nice pelt on this one," the man joked.

"Yeah, you should see her ass," Kei spoke up.

Zakuro giggled girlishly as if she wasn't aware of what they were talking about. She muttered just loud enough for Kei to hear. "I'm going to stab you later…"

"What was that, sweetcake?" the man asked.

"Mister says you have food," she said. "And that I could have a job here. Can I have a job, Mister?"

"Yeah," the pimp told her. "I think we got a job for you." He looked up at Kei. "What do you want for her?"

Kei named a price, the pimp made a counteroffer.

"Come on!" Kei complained. "Look at her! Nice skin, good teeth, and just stupid enough to not run away. Isn't that right, Zaku chan?"

Zakuro giggled again. "I'm going to set you on fire too," she muttered behind her hand.

"It's not like these things are rare anymore, buddy," the pimp told him. "I got two more of these fox bitches. I don't _need_ this one."

For a moment, Zakuro's face turned cold, but she turned the bimbo back on again. "Oh, so I'll have _friends?!_ Can I meet them, Mister?"

The pimp made a final offer, and Kei sighed. "Fine, take her."

888

Riken observed the barter from the food cart and wondered how it was going. Everyone was still smiling, so that was a good sign. He turned to share this thought with Susukihotaru and found the half-spirit holding her midsection as if she were nauseated.

"Susukihotaru?" he whispered.

"I'm okay," she said. "It's just… that place… it's so… it feels so filthy and hopeless, Riken sama. I think I'm going to be ill…"

He reached out and took her hand, and her breathing steadied. She took a deep cleansing breath.

"That's so much better," she noted. "Thank you."

She took a few more breaths and let his emotions wash over like a cleansing rain.

"I still find it hard to believe such places exist," she said.

"You've lived a sheltered life," he reminded her. "There is probably a lot of things in this world that would appall you."

Susukihotaru swallowed at this statement. "You make the world sound awful," she whispered disapprovingly.

He cocked his head, unsure of what he did wrong. "It's not," he admitted. "But something you will find about humans is that we are often defined by our weaknesses rather than our strengths."

She smiled at him. "Then I am fortunate," she said. At his questioning look, she continued. "I sense no weakness in you, and you have enough strength in your that you often lend me some."

888

Down the block, Makoto broke open the Schofield and began to feed cartridges into the cylinder.

"Master? Do you think you'll need your weapon?" Miryoku asked him. Like Susukihotaru, she too wore a hat to conceal her ears.

He shut the revolver and replaced it in its holster. "If we have to storm that place ourselves, I don't see how we don't need it," he said.

"Don't worry," Bonbori spoke up next to them.

"Zakuro will take care of it," Hozuki finished. "As long as we're there to support her."

Before he could comment on this, Kei came striding up to them. He leaned against the wall and put his hands in his pockets.

"She's inside," he said. He turned to Ganryuu. "Go get Susukihotaru. We'll give her a few minutes, and then we'll start."

888

"Hey, Mister, I thought we were friends!" Zakuro cried. "You don't have to pull so hard!"

"I'm just in a hurry to introduce you to your new friends, is all," the pimp told her with a grin as he dragged her down the second floor hallway. Greasy candles gave off an ugly, yellow light that barely chased the shadows away. "They'll get you cleaned up and show you the ropes."

"Can Mamezo kun come?" she asked, holding the "doll" out in front of her. "He's my bestest friend!"

"Well sure, sweetcakes," the pimp said. He stopped and opened a door. "Here's your room."

"Great, can I have something to eat now?" she asked.

"Sure thing," he said unctuously. "I'll go get you something, and then we can get better acquainted. Be right back."

He closed the door, and Zakuro's smile turned feral. "Oh, I'll be counting the seconds," she promised in a whisper.

"Who's that?"

Zakuro turned. The room was dim thanks to the cheap candles.

"Snake Catcher? Is that you?"

"No," Zakuro replied as she stepped further into the darkness. "I'm a friend of hers."

Two figures stepped into the candlelight. The two half-spirits wore cheap kimonos and far more make-up than even a working girl needs.

"Are you Candle Lighter and Floor Scrubber?" Zakuro asked.

"Do we know you?" one of the fox girls asked.

Zakuro shook her head. "Mir… er… Snake Catcher sent me to find you."

"Oh, good!" the girl on the right cried, clapping her hands together.

"Yes," the other said. "Go and bring her back! It's wonderful here!"

Zakuro froze. "Eh?" she asked.

"They gave us these clothes, and there's even a slop man!" the girl on the right explained.

"This is a brothel," Zakuro explained as if speaking to a crazy person. "They're making you give your bodies to strange men," she elaborated.

"Yes," the girl on the left, Candle Lighter, replied. "And that was scary at first, but it's warm here and as long as we do what we're told, they treat us well."

"It's much better than the Village," Floor Scrubber agreed.

Zakuro stood there, slack-jawed. She opened her mouth to scream at them and stopped.

_They're me_, she thought. _They've spent their whole lives living as slaves, the product of a failed experiment run by a madman. They have no idea what life _could_ be like. If not for a twist of fate, I could be standing there now with them._

She sighed. "Snake Catcher found a much better place," she explained gently.

"A better place?" Candle Lighter asked. "Better than this?"

Zakuro nodded, sad for the girl. "There's better food," she said. "And the beds are more comfortable. And you never have to offer your body to anyone." She swallowed, trying not to cry at the thought that she actually had to stand here and _sell_ freedom to a pair of slaves trapped in a brothel. "It's wonderful, and there are other half-spirits there. She said to come and find her there."

"That does sound nicer," Floor Scrubber agreed.

"When should we leave?" Candle Lighter asked.

The door opened behind Zakuro, and the pimp stood there, a plate of moldy bread in his hand.

"You girls getting along?" he asked.

Zakuro smiled.

"Right now."

888

Makoto pulled the Schofield and nodded to Kei. "Okay, Sir," he said. "Give me Riken, and we'll go through the front. You and Hanakiri san can bottle them up in the back. The girls stay here where it's safe."

Kei shook his head. "No, we're going to stay here."

Makoto shook his head as if he hadn't heard right. "Um… Sir," he began again. "If we don't go in, then Zakuro san is trapped in there alone."

At this moment Susukihotaru and Riken strode up to them.

Kei nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Sir…"

Kei raised a hand. "Just a sec." He turned to the half-spirits. "Are you ladies ready?"

The three half-spirits bowed. "Hai!"

"Okay, remember, loud enough for her to hear."

Susukihotaru raised her hands and clapped twice. "_Asore…"_

Makoto tried to figure out what his new commander had in mind, but froze stock still when he heard it.

"_Watasha hana ka? Chouchou ka? Oni ka?"_

"_Aware mi mo yo… Mo araryou mono ka?"_

For a moment, he was back in the dream, the snake formed from the bones of the dead glaring down at him. His eyes went wide.

"_Beni no kawari ni… Sasu no wa yaiba ja…"_

He snapped out of it as a loud crashed ripped through the alley, followed by the scream of the man who came flying out of one of the second-floor windows. People started to cry out in fright, and a stampede of half-clothed men and women came rushing out of the brothel's front door.

Makoto and Miryoku looked on in shock while the other soldiers and half-spirits looked as if they expected absolutely nothing less from the scene. One man, a thug with a scarred chin, came running out of the brothel with a bloody slice on his cheek, screaming for help.

"_Tanto homete kudashanse."_

Miryoku clutched his arm and pointed at the man. "Master! That's the man!"

Makoto rushed forward and drew the Schofield. The pimp looked up and barely had time to cry before the butt of the pistol smashed into his nose, knocking him out. Makoto pointed the gun down at him, but the man was out cold.

"_Apare! Apare! Apare-na!"_

Kei smiled as a trio of half-spirits walked out of the brothel and strode up to him, past the throngs of panicked whores and johns. Zakuro, blood on her cheek and on the tanto in her hand, smiled and bowed to him. Perched atop her head like an odd hat, Mamezo grinned.

"You are all quite welcome," she announced with a feral grin.

888

The sun had risen and was going down again by the time everyone arrived back at the manor, and it was decided a celebratory dinner was in order… after a bath.

Sitting together, Miryoku was teaching her two friends how to use chopsticks while the rest ate happily.

"Dinner is always better after a job well done," Zakuro noted. She frowned and held the cup out in front of Kei. "But cow's milk will always taste like the secretions of a bovine."

Makoto watched the byplay for a moment and shook his head in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like that," he told Zakuro with honest respect. "How did you do it?"

Zakuro, the milk forgotten for the moment, shrugged. "My friends," she said. "They gave me the strength. I just used it." She turned and looked at the three half-spirits. "For the same reason you stepped between a half-spirit and an angry merchant." She looked him in the eye now. "Someone had to."

"And… the song?" he asked cautiously.

She smiled "That's how I know I'm not the _only_ 'someone.'"

"What will happen to them?" he asked, nodding at the two new half-spirits at the end of the table.

"Kushimatsu said they can stay here," Kei told him. "But if we're successful in our new mission, we're going to run out of room. These girls… they don't know how to make it in Japan on their own, but we won't be able to take them all in."

"Yes, we will," Zakuro told him firmly. "Because someone has to."

Kei smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

888

"Are our new additions being seen to?" Amaryoju asked as he strode through the snow-covered path that concealed his stone garden.

"Yes, Amaryoju sama," Kushimatsu confirmed. "And per your instructions, I am making preparations to receive more should they be as successful in the future."

The elephant spirit turned to her. "Is there any way of knowing how many of them are out there?" he asked.

"Too many," Kushimatsu told him plainly. "My heart breaks for them."

"We must help as many as we can," Amaryoju told her.

"There will be a limit to what we can do," the fox spirit told him.

He shook his head. "No, Kushimatsu, we must make every effort to find every last one of them and help them. It is not only for their sake, but for ours."

"I don't understand," Kushimatsu said.

The elephant spirit sighed. "Soon… too soon… the half-spirits of the Village of Oracles will be divided into three groups: Those we have reached, those no one has reached…. And those reached by _others._"

"Others?"

He lowered his trunk. "I am afraid, Kushimatsu. I am afraid it has already begun."

888

The valley in which sat the small village was lit much brighter this evening as usual, a result of the circus that had come to entertain it that evening. From the top of the hill, even through the forest trees, the lights and sounds of the circus could be heard; the laughter, the roar of the animals, the music.

And if she could still hear those things, she was still too close.

She panted as she ran, pushing branches out of her path but never slowing down. She couldn't slow down. If she did, they would catch her for sure. By now, the dogs were out looking for her.

The half-spirit could hear them now, yowling behind her as they gave pursuit. She put on more speed until she entered a small clearing.

Stop. She had to stop and catch her breath. Just for a second. She looked up as the sound of something moving through the trees reached her ears. Crossing her arms over her chest, she concentrated… and felt it.

She opened her eyes. She could still see the world around her although they could not see her. The half-spirit continued to breathe rapidly, sweat coating her body and matting her short, black hair. Her grey eyes searched through the haze that formed the spiritual barrier that bent light around her. She stifled a gasp as she saw him step into the clearing.

Moran… the ring master… _the_ master. He looked around the clearing with his eyes, his hand almost casually holding the bullwhip that had become all too familiar to her. He looked down at the ground, his eyes tracking up to where she stood.

The girl covered her mouth with her hands and tried to control her breathing. She watched as he looked up, right at her, and smiled.

A flick of his wrist and the bullwhip wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her body. She screamed in pain and she became visible to him again.

"Listen, girly," the ringmaster said in his strange accent. "Haven't I always been nice to you?" He reached down and grabbed her by the throat, picking her up like she weighed no more than a sack of potatoes, and pinning her to a nearby tree. "You need to learn that if you're a good girl and do your tricks, you have nothing to fear from me."

She clawed at his arm with her hands, and he punched her in the gut with his free hand. Lights exploded in her head and the air was pulled from her lungs. She gasped, trying to get it back, crying in pain.

"Now, listen," he said. "What do you say, we go back to the tent, you do a little time in the cage until you realize how naughty you've been, and we put this whole thing behind us?"

He froze as he heard something behind him, low and guttural. A growl.

"You should be careful," a voice from the trees warned.

Moran turned his head, searching for the voice's owner. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"That little half-spirit isn't the only one who can make themselves invisible," the voice rumbled.

The ringmaster dropped the bullwhip and reached into his coat pocket, producing a short, two-barreled derringer pistol. "All right!" he called. "I have no quarrel with you! This little fox belongs to me, savvy? I'm just collecting my property!"

"A mortal lays claim to a goddess…" the voice rumbled from everywhere and nowhere. "And _I'm_ the monster…"

"Show yourself!" Moran demanded, cocking the pistol. "Where are you?"

The fox girl's eyes went wide as a giant tiger's head emerged from the shadow right next to Moran's head. "I'm… right… here," it whispered. Moran turned and screamed as the tiger snarled and snapped his jaws over the human's head. She fell to the floor, covered in the man's blood and tried to scoot further away from the carnage.

Finally, Moran stopped screaming. She opened her eyes and looked up as the tiger spirit stood up to its full nine-foot height. It turned to her, its eyes glowing green in the dark as it growled.

"No fear, girl," he rumbled down at her. "Stand."

She rose to her feet, never taking her eyes off him. The tiger held a paw out to her.

"You're not going to hurt me?" she asked fearfully.

The tiger shook his head. "A dead human is no cause for punishment."

She swallowed nervously.

"You can come with me if you like," he told her. "And I will show you your rightful place as a queen of the world."

The half-spirit reached out tentatively and touched his paw. It rumbled and snarled a smile.

"Come," he said. "We must search for the others."

She swallowed and nodded.

"Yes… Master."


End file.
